The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) announced on Aug. 23 an education plan to strengthen the investigative capabilities of labor inspectors.
With the revision of the Criminal Procedure Act removing, effective Oct. 2, the prosecutor's duty to direct investigations of special judicial police, labor inspectors will henceforth handle cases such as wage arrears, industrial accidents, and unfair labor practices directly without prosecutorial direction.
This year there are 5,899 labor inspectors, the largest among special judicial police. The number is scheduled to expand to 7,349 in 2027 and 8,031 in 2028. Among special judicial police, labor inspectors refer the most cases to the prosecution, and they are responsible for 19 statutes and 1,022 provisions, making the position one that requires expertise.
The labor ministry established an "investigation school" to strengthen practical training for new inspectors. New inspectors spend eight of the 12 weeks of the curriculum at the investigation school. The 206 who enrolled in May completed the first training and were all assigned to the field on the 27th of last month.
The labor ministry plans to upgrade in-service inspector training in stages of "legal knowledge–practicum–specialized techniques." Until now, investigation training relied on external agencies such as the prosecution and police and focused on general principles, but going forward it will be reorganized to be practice-centered and specialized for labor cases.
At the same time, training in specialized investigative techniques such as compulsory investigation, investigative interviews, and digital forensics will be significantly strengthened.